This was a pivotal year for the tall building industry, with dramatic projects making headlines around the world. Not only did skylines grow taller, skyscrapers were often at the center of debates about how cities should evolve and develop as efficient urban centers.

In no particular order, the Top Ten tall building stories of the year:

China Broad Proposes Prefab Tower: After becoming a YouTube sensation by building a 30-story tower in 15 days, the Changsha-based company became the talk of the industry with a proposal to build an 838-meter tower.

Makkah Tower Completes: Few Westerners will ever see it in person, but the second tallest tower in the world was completed in 2012 in Mecca. At 601 meters it is only the world’s second “megatall” (over 600 meters).

1WTC Height Controversy: When the developers of One World Trade Center redesigned the structure on top of the tower, it raised questions about the ultimate height of the most closely-watched building in the United States. Is it a spire? Or is it an antenna?

Kingdom Tower Plans Advance: The proposal to build a one-kilometer tower in Jeddah continues to progress with all signs pointing to the start of construction in 2013.

Dubai Claims Tallest Residential Tower: Three towers within a few blocks of each other in Dubai Marina traded the title of world’s tallest residential tower in 2012, with the headline ultimately going to the 413-meter Princess Tower.

CCTV Headquarters Opened: After a tortured construction process, including a devastating fire, the OMA-designed CCTV Headquarters finally opened to the public, giving Beijing a distinctive new landmark.

UNESCO Battles Developers: The UN organization increasingly threatened to revoke world heritage designations for sites that may be affected by new projects, putting the group squarely in the middle of planning decisions in many historic European cities.

China Leads Tall Building Development: While many Western countries continued to wrestle with the economic slowdown, China finished 22 buildings taller than 200 meters in 2012, 33 percent of the global total.

Superstorm Sandy Batters NYC Development: Sandy devastated the northeast United States and brought construction in New York City to a standstill. Sites were flooded and a shattered crane dangling from the top of One57 became one of the symbols of the storm’s power.